Car Crash

Earlier today, an Amtrak train collided with a tractor-trailer in Halifax County. Fifty five passengers have been taken to the hospital.

The accident took place at 12:15 p.m. yesterday at the intersection of U-S 301 and N-C 903. The train was the northbound Carolinian 80, a popular route for commuters and business passengers.

The collision caused the Carolinian's locomotive and baggage car to derail. 15 passengers were taken to Halifax Memorial Hospital by ambulance and 25 were transported by bus. The remaining passengers were moved to the Halifax Community Center.

AAA Carolinas has labeled rural North Carolina the "killing grounds" for drivers in accidents.

More than 1,100 people died in traffic accidents in North Carolina last year, though the number is lower than in years prior. A new report from AAA Carolinas shows the continuing trend of fewer fatalities on the road since 2010. The number is dropping, but slowly.